Running-gear for wagons.



PATENTED JULY 17, 1906. .B. F. PADGETT.

RUNNING GEAR FOR.WAGONS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1905. RENEWED JUNB13,1906.

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Attorneys No. 826,443. PATENTED JULY 17, 1906. B. P. PADGETT.

RUNNING GEAR FOR WAGONS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1905. RENEWED JUNE 13,1906.

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Attorneys Witnesse 2,2 I 6% Inv ento No. 826,443. PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

' B. F. PADGETT.

RUNNING GEAR FOR WAGONS. APPLICATION FILED Jinn; 2, 1905. RENEWED JUNE 13,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3, I

** Mrs Attorneys BENJAMIN F. PADGETT, OF LAUREL, MISSISSIPPI.

RUNNING-GEAR FOR WAGONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906.

Application filed June 2, 1905. Renewed June 13, 1906. Serial No. 321,543.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN a citizen of the United States, residing at Laurel, in the county of Jones and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Running-Gear for Wagons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to running-gear for wagons; and it hasamong its objects to simplify and improve the construction and operation of the same.

The invention consists in an extension running-gear applicable to that class of wagons which are provided with two four-wheeled trucks, to ordinary four-wheeled wagons, to

those having a four-wheeled truck and an auxiliary two-wheeled axle, and to various other allied forms.

The invention further consists in certain improvements in the four-wheeled trucks of a wagon equipped with the invention.

The invention further consists in an improved fifth-wheel of simple and eflicient construction.

The invention further consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of embodiment of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that the right is reserved to any changes, alterations, and modifications to which recourse may be had within the scope of the invention and without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the efficiency of the same.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of an eight-wheeled running-gear con structed in accordance with the principles of the invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 4 4 in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view illustrating the abutting ends of the fifth-wheel. Fig. 6 is a top plan view illustrating the extension device applied to an ordinary four-wheeled running-gear. Fig. 7 is a top plan view showing the invention applied to a running-gear including a fourwheeled truck and a two-wheeled axle. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

F. PADGETT, are indicated throughout by similar charac- Corresponding parts in the several figures ters of reference.

In the several forms of the invention 1 1 designate, the bolsters. Securely connected with one of saidbolsters are a pair of bars 2 2, suitably spaced apart and affording guides, between which slides a bar 3, which is securely 'connected with the other bolster. The pair of bars 2 2 are connected near their free ends by a keeper 4, and a keeper 5, connected with the intermediate bar 3 near its free end, embraces the bars 2 2, the several bars being thus slidably connected, so that the bolsters which are supported by the wheels may be spaced apart any desired distance within the capacity of the dimensions of the bars 2 2 and 3. The said bars may be connected at various points of adjustment, as by means of a bolt 6, passing through the keeper 4 and capable of extending through any one of a series of perforations 7 in the bar 3. This part of the invention, it will be seen, is equally applicable to an eight-wheeled running-gear, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, and to an ordinary four-wheeled running gear, as shown in Fig. 6, and to a runninggear, including a four-wheeled truck and a two-wheeled axle, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, it being understood that the two bars 2 2 maybe connected either with the front bolster, as best seen in Figs. 1 and 2, or with the rear bolster, as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8. In Fig. 6 the bolsters are mounted directly upon the axles 8, a tongue 9 being suitably connected with the front axle by means of a hound-frame 10, while in Figs. 7 and 8 the front bolster is supported upon a fourwheeled truck and the rear bolster upon an axle 8.

Under the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, each of the bolsters is mounted upon a truck T, including a pair of axles 11, provided with supporting-wheels 12. Said supporting-wheels are usually and preferably made of relatively small dimensions and all of the same size in order to produce a running-gear suitable for logging operations and the like. The axles 11 of each truck are connected with each other by means of a reach member 13, which is pivotally connected with each of said axles by means of a pin or bolt, as 14, said boltserving also to secure in position a sand-board 15, one such sand-board being superposed above each of the axles and spaced therefrom by 4 made, it being the reach member 18. Pivotally connected with the front axle of each truck, as by means of pins 16, are guide-bars 17, the front ends of which play freely between the front axles and the sand-board 15, while the rear ends of said guide-bars are guided loosely be tween guide-pins 18, which connect the rear axles with the superposed sand-boards. Suitably mounted upon the reach members 13 are the fifth-wheels, each of which is com posed of two semicircular members 19, the abutting ends of which are connectedhingedly with staples 20 upon the reach members, so that the said fifth-wheels may yield to pressure on either side without danger of being distorted or broken. The bolsters 1 1 are connected with the reach members 13 by means of king-bolts 21, said king-bolts affording pivotal connecting means between the bolsters and the trucks. The bolsters may, if desired, be provided with antifriction-rollers adapted to ride upon the fifthwheels, as will be readily understood, in order to-enable the trucks to turn freely. The reach members 13 are connected with the rear axles of the respective trucks by means of brace rods orlinks23. Suitably connected with the front axle of each truck is a houndframe 24. The hound-frame of the front truck is for the attachment of the draft tongue 25, and the hound-frame of the rear truck is for the attachment of a stub-tongue 26, with which is pivotally connected, as by a bolt 27, a forwardly and upwardly extend-- ing draft-pole 28, the front end of which is pivotally connected with the coupling-bar 3 by means of a pin or bolt 29.

Under the construction illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 the front part of the running-gear is formed by a truck T, constructed as hereinbefore described, while the two-wheeled axle 8 supports the rear bolster 1 and related parts. It is obvious that therelative positions of the truck T and the two-wheeled axle may be reversed, also that a running-gear may be constructed including more than two trucks T and more than twoindependent axles, the general construction herein described being adhered to.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains. The general'construction is extremely simple and inexpensive. The running-gear may be extended or shortened, as may be desired, according to the work that is to be done, and the eight-wheeled running-gear is possessed of a great degree of strength and flexibility, which enables extremely short turns to be i particularly to be noted that not only do the axles swing pivotally with i bolt.

relationto the reach members 13, but the entire trucks are pivotally connected with the bolsters, so that in case of necessity the front truck may revolve completely upon the king- It follows that when logs or timbers of great length are to be transported the wagon may be guided and turns may be made in extremely cramped quarters. When short turns are to be i made, the trucks will be easily and properly guided, especially where a plurality of four-wheeled trucks are employed, owing to the presence of the stubtongues 26, as will be readily understood.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a running-gear, a truck comprising a pair of axles, a reach member supported upon and pivotally connected with the axles, a fifth-wheel comprising two semicircular sections hingedly connected with the reach member, and a bolster pivotally connected with the reach member.

2. In a running-gear, a truck comprising a pair of axles, a reach member supported upon and pivotally connected with the axles; a fifth-wheel comprising two semicircular sections hingedly connected with the reach member, slidable supporting means for the hinged sections of the fifth-wheel, and a bol-' ster pivotally connected with the reach memher and engaging the fifth-wheel.

3. A running-gear comprising a pair of trucks each including front and rear axles, a reach member connecting said axles, a fifthwheel consisting of two sections hingedly connected with the reach member, slidable supporting means for the sections of the fifth- Wheel, and a bolster pivotally connectedwith the reach member; a pair of bars connected with the bolster of one truck, a coupling-bar connected with the bolster of the other truck, keepers slidably connecting the pair of bars with the coupling-bar, and means for securing the parts together at various adjustments.

4. A running-gear comprising a pair of trucks each including front and rear axles, a reach member connecting said axles, a fifthwheel, and a bolster; in combination with extension-bars connecting the bolsters, a stubtongue connected with the rear truck, and a draft-tongue pivotally connected with said stub-tongue and with one of the extensionbars which latter is also connected with the rear bolster.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. PADGETT.

Witnesses:

' B. H. THORPE, L. B. MCCARTY. 

